Weekly racing will return to Thompson International Speedway in 2013.ThompsonSpeedway.com

Friday was a time for both good news and bad news regarding Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.

Amid rumors that weekly racing would not return in 2013, track owner Donald Hoenig announced that Thompson will indeed host races on Thursday nights next season. The full schedule will be released in the next 7-10 days, according to speedway public relations director Russ Dowd.

Declining car counts and sponsorships had led to Hoenig at least considering the possibility of either suspending weekly racing in 2013 or abandoning it completely. However, the choice was clearly made to maintain the status quo.

Hoenig also announced the departure of one of the facility's most influential people. After 21 years as a promoter and special adviser to the Hoenig family, Ben Dodge Jr. is calling it a career.

Following a stint of nearly 30 years running the now-defunct Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Dodge returned to Thompson - where he worked for a time in the 1970s - in the late 1990s. He took Thompson in a new direction and is credited with much of its recent success.

“I personally want to thank Ben for his many years of dedicated service and for all of the positive contributions he made to this track," Hoenig said in a press release. "Ben and I have had a great working relationship for well over 30 years and I know that he will be missed by our staff, sponsors, competitors and the entire racing fraternity. I want to wish only the best for Ben in his future endeavors.”

Further changes could be in the works, according to the release. For several months, Jonathan Hoenig, Donald’s grandson, has been charged with the task of researching the feasibility of restoring the facility’s road course.

Dowd's press release noted that plans for expansion and operation of the speedway will be revealed "in the near future."

.”We are looking to enhance and expand the facilities and over all motorsports operations here at Thompson Speedway," Jonathan Hoenig said. "With these programs, we are all looking forward to many new changes, advancements in the operations and product offerings to the motorsports community."